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Pogba is Man Utd's only player with stardust to get them out of terrible slump

Man utd news update live:
'You need a certain kind of confidence and arrogance to play for Manchester United,' Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said a few days ago. 'Paul Pogba is all of those things.'


That, in essence, is why United are so desperate for Pogba to remain at Old Trafford. Remain beyond the next transfer window, the summer after and beyond. Sure, his performances can fluctuate but the club don't currently own anyone else with the same quality of stardust.



'It's not misplaced arrogance with Paul,' Solskjaer continued. 'He is one of our big characters. Paul will walk out onto any pitch and be full of confidence - and that's what I look for and what I demand from all of our players.'


The 26-year-old is set for a return to action on Wednesday night against Rochdale in the Carabao Cup after missing the last three through injury. While United beat Leicester without him, his absence was felt during a drab victory over Astana and Sunday's defeat at West Ham.



While there is absolutely no desire to sell, Real Madrid continue to loom and Pogba's comments over the summer did not help present a united front. It is partly why they are so keen to sit down and negotiate a new contract, something former manager Jose Mourinho felt the midfielder was always angling for following his and agent Mino Raiola's persistent flirtations elsewhere.



They simply cannot afford to be without him, particularly as the desperate need for a rebuild focuses on other key positions – chiefly someone to actually play alongside Pogba and allow him to flourish. There is nobody else quite like him in that team.

Last season's statistics bear that out. In the Premier League, Pogba finished top on goals (13), assists (9) and completed passes (2,068). At least someone hit the sort of numbers predicted of them during a campaign of indifference.



What supporters, pundits – anyone with a passing interest in the game - cannot seem to agree on is what ought to be expected of Pogba. A World Cup winner, there is forever a sense of wanting more. Does he play within himself? Should his ability carry this team more often?

While criticism is generally exaggerated, the answer lies somewhere between yes and no. United are ultimately poorer without him – even down to the basics of quickening games up in midfield.


So many times United looked backwards rather than forwards at West Ham, no real feeling of attacking urgency. For his faults and mistakes – see Crystal Palace's winner at Old Trafford last month - that is a rarity in Pogba.



So his return serves as an almighty boost for Solskjaer, whose injury crisis has compounded a scratchy start to his first full season in charge. The early suggestions are that he will come off the bench against Rochdale, in readiness for Monday night's visit of Arsenal for what must be viewed as a must-not-lose game.



Rochdale do hold some significance for Pogba, the final Senior Cup opponent he faced before making his first-team debut under Sir Alex Ferguson in a Carling Cup tie at Leeds in September 2011. Brian Barry-Murphy, now manager of Dale, played against im.


'It was in the middle of the contract issue,' Barry-Murphy told the Manchester Evening News. 'I remember there was a lot of talk about the agent, Raiola, and he was in the development teams and I was coaching our young lads.



'He was just on another planet. I remember there was a lot of talk that he wasn't going to play for their first team and they were going to move him, but it was common knowledge up here about who he was and what he was doing.

'And when I saw him, it was like "oh my god!" He was the only midfield player of that kind who could do what he could do. I'd never seen anything like it.'


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